KATHMANDU: One of the five-member Nepali karate team selected for the ninth AKF Senior Karate Championship was denied visa by the Chinese Embassy on Friday.

The Chinese authorities rejected the application of karateka Srijana Tamang for the event slated for Guangzhou from September 25-27. According to Srijana, she was denied visa because of her ‘mongolian looks’ and the organisers’ letter did not reach on time. Srijana also blamed the Nepal Karate Federation’s negligency on her case.

The Chinese Embassy, however, accepted the applications of four players — Binod Shakya, Ramsharan Twati, Parashuram Bastola and Subhadra Shrestha — and coach Deepak Shrestha.

Meanwhile, the participation of the Nepali team came under clouds after the NKF asked the players to manage the amounts for accomodations by themselves. “The association said they will provide only air tickets and the players have to manage other arrangements by themselves,” said Deepak Shrestha, the two-time South Asian Games gold medallist, who is expected to accompany the team as a coach. “The NKF said the association will provide the air tickets only to the players not for the coach. In that case, I will not be going to the event,” he added.

One of the team members, Binod Shakya, said the players were not in position to afford the lodging and accomodation expenses. “The association has asked us to manage the amount for now and will refund after the tournament. But we don’t believe them as the expenses we managed in the previous events are still due,” said Shakya.